Fence-wire stretcher



(No Model.)

J. P. WARNER.

FENCE WIRE STRETGHER. No. 390,272. Patented Oct. 2, 1888.

l vitmaooeo Swuamboz UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JESSE F. \VARNER, OF \VINNEBAGO, NEBRASKA.

FENCE-WIRE STRETCHER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 390.272, dated October 2, 1888.

Application filed June 26, 1888.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, J ESSE F. WARNER, acitizen of the United States, residing at Winnebago Agency, in the Omaha Reserve and State of Nebraska, have invented certain new and usefulImprovementsinFenceWireStretchers; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to that class of implements used by builders of wire fence to stretch the wire tightly preparatory to fastening it to posts; and its object is, first, to provide a grip for wirestretehers which will open at either side to receive the wire,which will hold the wire to stretch it either way without reversing the lever, and which will loosely retain the wire within the jaws so that it cannot escape therefrom while being drawn freely through them, and so that it will be grasped and rigidly held by closing the jaws upon it, and, second, to so form and arrange the parts of a wirestretcher that theimplement maybe economically constructed partly of wood and partly of metal.

To this end my invention consists in the con struction and combination of parts forming a fence-wire stretcher,hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure I is a side elevation of a wirestretcher according to my invention. Fig. II is a plan view of the same in service. Fig. III is a plan view, part in section, showing a por tion of the same on alarger scale; and Fig. IV represents a modification of the same in side elevation.

5 represents a lever about four feet long, which may be either of wood or metal. In the first three views it is represented as metal and in the fourth as wood.

6 represents the gripping-lever, pivoted at 7 to the main lever 5. The end 8 of the short arm of the lever 6 is curved in an are somewhat circular and serrated or roughened, thus forming a toothed jaw to catch into the side of the wire when the latter is pressed thereby against the shoulder or jaw 9, which is either fixed to or a part of the main lever 5.

Serial No. 278,273. (No model.)

By referring to Fig. III it will be seen that the movablejaw S bears the same relation to the fixed jaw 9 at both sides, forming mouths equally open each way to receive the wire. The shortest distance between the two jaws being less than the diameter of the wire, the latter, when placed therein, will be firmly gripped before the two levers can be broughtin line.

10 represents a lip extending over the movablejaw far enough to surround the wire loose ly before the jaws are closed. To admit the wire sidewise beneath the lip the jaw 8 must be swung far away to one side or the other,as shown in dotted lines 11, Fig. III.

12 represents a long loop formed in the lever 5 along that portion which is to bear against the post as a fulcrum in stretching the wire. This loop serves to give breadth to the lever, so that it may bear on the post both above and below the line of the Wire to prevent the lever from rolling when in service. 'The loop not only forms a broad bearing with little weight of material in the lever, but it forms two thin edges to indent the wood of the post and prevents it slipping down out of line, and yet the two sides of the loop will slide freely across and around the post, thus permitting freedom of motion to the lever while holding the wire constantly close against the post, ready to be stapled at any stage of the stretching desired. A wooden lever beinglightcr than a metal one of equal length and stiflness, and much less expensive, I secure upon the lever 5, Fig. IV, an iron plate, 13, to prevent the wire from Wearing the lever, and I make the jaw 9 a removable block of steel, which may be hardened and roughened on its working-face. The lip 10 rests upon the block 9, and is secured to the lever by means of bolts or rivets passing through the lip-body, the block,and the lever. To use this implement for stretching fencewires, place the loop 12 against the fence-post at the sideof thepost facing in thedirection you wish to pull, the lever6 being on the upper side of lever 5 and its handle swung backward-that is, opposite to the pulling direc tion of lever 5 enough to permit the wire to drop freely past the lip to a position beneath the lip and between the jaws. Now carry the lever 5 far backward and by hand draw the wire forward between the jaws as far as possible, then bring the handle of lever 6 forward until the wire is firmly gripped, and finally stretch the wire by a forward movement of the lever 5 until it is taut enough to be stapled to the post. It will be seen that the loop may bear against either side of the post and the grip will still remain upward and work equally well to draw from one direction or the other. The lip 10 also forms a book by which the implement may be hung upon a wire; and this is of great advantage when it is desired to make the implement hold the wire somewhat taut while the operator leaves it temporarily, with the end of lever 5 lowered to rest on the ground,while he attends to some other matter. It is sometimes desirable to do the stretching at a midway post. Then the wire is very apt to spring up out of'the jaws; but the lip 10 in this implement prevents that.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I believe to be new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is the following:

1. The combination of a main lever having a handle at one end and provided at the other end with a loop adapted to engage a fulcrum, a block or jaw fixed between the said loop and main lever, near the inner end of the loop, leaving the said end aprojecting lip, and anotherjaw pivoted to the main lever to swing beneath the said lip, opposite to the fixedjaw, substantially as shown and described.

2. The combination of a main lever having a handle at one end, a block orjaw fixed upon the said lever at some distance from its other end, a loop fixed upon this other end of the lever and resting near its inner end upon the said block and extending as a lip beyond the jaw portion of the block, and another jaw pivoted to the main lever to swing beneath the said. lip opposite to the fixed jaw, substantially as shown and described.

In testimony whereofI affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JESSE F. WARNER. WVitnesses:

M. M. WARNER, W. A. MOKEWEN. 

